Goal Soccer Centres, which runs five-a-side football centres across the
country, has agreed a £73m takeover by The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan,
one of Canada's largest pension funds.

The 144p-a-share cash offer is a 7pc premium to Goals' closing shares on Thursday of 135p. Goals shares have risen more than 34pc since it first revealed the approach by the pension fund over three months ago.

Under the deal, which is being done through the Canadian funds' private equity arm Teachers' Private Capital, the current management will remain in their jobs.

However, Goals shares rose above the offer on Friday to 147p in anticipation of a higher offer for the company which owns and operates 43 outdoor five-a-side football centres in the UK and one in the US.

Earlier this month, Goals also confirmed that private equity firm Patron Capital, the controlling shareholder in rival Powerleague, had also expressed an interest in acquiring the company.

Patron said on Friday that it was considering its options and urged Goal shareholders to take no action. Powerleague has 45 centres around the country.

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The acquisition by Teachers, which is the largest single-profession pension plan in Canada with around £73bn in net assets, will need the backing of shareholders holding at least 75pc of the company's shares.

Teachers, owner of the National Lottery operator Camelot and the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey team, said it had the backing of investors holding 27pc of the company's shares.

Goals Soccer Centre has been run by Keith Rogers since 2000, when he led a management buy-in. He holds 8.4pc of the company.

In the year to December 31, 2011, Goals had revenues of £30.4m and pre-tax profits of £9.2m.